United Kingdom (UK)
Arag appoints Simon Barrett CFO as UK co-founder retires
Arag has appointed Simon Barrett as chief financial officer in preparation for the retirement of longstanding CFO Bob Moreton next year.
Go Compare parent share price jumps 18% as group agrees Future sale terms
Shares at Goco, parent company of Go Compare, were almost 18% up this morning as the company agreed terms of an acquisition offer from British publisher Future, in a deal valuing the group at £594m.
Talbot Underwriting employee succeeds in unfair dismissal bullying claim
A tribunal has found in favour of a former employee of AIG business Talbot Underwriting who sued the insurer for constructive unfair dismissal.
AA accepts take-over offer from private equity firms
Motoring group the AA has confirmed it reached an agreement on the terms of recommended cash acquisition under which Towerbrook Capital Partners and Warburg Pincus International will acquire the business.
Briefing: "Alexa, do voice assistants have a future in insurance?"
As Confused launches an Alexa Skill that allows customers to get quotes from their Amazon Echo, Post content director Jonathan Swift asks other insurers about their experience of voice assistant technology to see if it is merely a gimmick - or has a…
Houghton targets £200m GWP in five years as Synova backs Glendinning MBO
Leeds-headquartered JM Glendinning is planning to buy 15 businesses over the next five years after its private equity-backed management buyout, group CEO Nick Houghton told Post.
Insurers told soul-searching, not superficial projects, will improve industry's reputation
Insurance companies must ensure they are “purpose-led” in order to restore the sector’s reputation, Blueprint for Better Business CEO Chris Wookey told members of the Worshipful Company of Insurers last week.
Analysis: With Ageas and Aviva on board, will Caura be the first motor insurtech to successfully target mainstream ‘Joe Bloggs’?
This week Caura launched its app-based motor insurance offering, which the insurtech claims has the most extensive underwriting footprint of any UK start-up to date.
False job fraud: The crooks capitalising on Covid unemployment
Under the weight of coronavirus curtailment the UK unemployment rate has hit 4.8%. Crafty criminals are capitalising on unsuspecting job hunters to ‘phish’ personal information and commit insurance fraud.
PWC pulls Slater & Gordon into £63m Watchstone case
PWC has filed a claim against Slater & Gordon as it brought out its defence in the legal dispute with Watchstone, which is seeking £63m in damages from the accountants for alleged breaches of contract, confidence and fiduciary duty as well as conspiracy.
Hiscox’s Ross Dingwall on building relationships
It takes more than a Webex call to build the relationships the insurance industry thrives on, says Ross Dingwall, managing director – broker channel at Hiscox UK.
Orient Express: What if the Supreme Court goes against precedent in the FCA BI test case?
During the High Court hearing of the Financial Conduct Authority’s business interruption test case, the regulator argued that reversing the judgment in the historic Orient Express case would “restore sanity”. If the Supreme Court chooses to overrule the…
180 years of Post: Lloyd’s - Two decades of trauma
As Post celebrates 180 years, David Worsfold takes a look at the years of scandal, losses and court cases that hit the Lloyd’s of London market from the mid-1970s onwards and ask what today's insurers can learn from them.
Hester poised for £17.7m and Egan £6.7m from RSA sale
RSA group CEO Stephen Hester could pocket £17.74m from the sale of the insurer with UK and international CEO Scott Egan in line for a £6.67m pay out, according to analysis of the latest documents published by the provider as part of the proposed takeover…
Briefing: Compare the Market fine a fitting end to a sorry chapter
“Ridiculous”, “harmful”, “anti-competitive”. These were the words used by Money Supermarket managing director of financial services Graham Donoghue to describe wide ‘most favoured nation’ clauses during a Competition Commission hearing back in 2013.
Insurers urge MOJ for an early Christmas present of the rules for the whiplash portal
Insurers have urged the Ministry of Justice to release the rules for the whiplash portal as soon as possible, after delays earlier this year.
Supreme Court BI judgment deadline uncertain
The Supreme Court judges overseeing the Financial Conduct Authority's business interruption test case have pledged to work quickly but there is no certainty on when policyholders and insurers will get a decision.
Insurers must improve internal fraud team collaboration to join the dots, conference hears
Internal collaboration among fraud teams is important when fighting fraud, experts said at Post's Claims and Fraud summit.
Blog: Environmental liability – a catastrophic cover gap
Judy Hadden, founder of James Hallam business Oilspill Insurance Services, considers the hot topic of environmental liability cover, which she argues may be difficult to explain and sell but is an important value add.
Towergate sells Milburn to UBT in £2.2m deal
Towergate Insurance Brokers has sold Milburn Insurance Brokers to UBT (EU) in a £2.2m deal that completed on 1 November.
Hiscox had pandemic possibility 'well in mind' when it drafted BI policies, action group tells Supreme Court
The Hiscox Action Group has responded and opened its appeal as part of the Supreme Court hearing on the business interruption test case.
I-Wonder rolls out cycle comparison with motorbike to follow
I-Wonder has launched a bicycle insurance comparison site and is planning to enter the motorcycle market at the start of 2021, Post can reveal.
Compare the Market fined £17.9m by competition watchdog
Compare the Market has been fined £17.9m for its use of most favoured nation clauses.
BI test case: Warnings verdict and media confusion could enable fraudsters
The confusion created by the High Court’s decision in the Financial Conduct Authority's business interruption test case, with both parties claiming victory, could act as an enabler for fraudsters, according to experts speaking at Post’s Claims and Fraud…